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world view

We must reject not only the stereotypes that others have of us, but also those that we have of ourselves.– Shirley Chisholm

Stereotypes lose their power when the world is found to be more complex than the stereotype would suggest.When we learn that individuals do not fit the group stereotype, then it begins to fall apart.– Ed Koch

Nietzsche was extremely critical of Christianity in the book “The Anti-Christ.” There are scholars who believe the title of his book should have been translated as “The Anti-Christian.” It fits with the wording and matches the book’s theme.

According to Nietzsche, “The very word ‘Christianity’ is a misunderstanding — in truth, there was only one Christian, and he died on the cross.”

Nietzsche felt Christianity pushed pity on followers, to the point of creating suffering among the believers. He viewed religious leaders as manipulative liars and hypocrites. He also believed faith was used to push people to accept what the church teaches, without questioning and without seeking for factual information.

His words were harsh; however, a quick review of the history of Christianity will reveal they were not unfounded.

I think, sometimes we need to pay attention to those who are critical of our belief system. I admit, it’s not an easy thing to do. However; we may find discrepancies or inadequacies that were previously missed by us. If what we believe is true, it will hold up to research and questioning. Therefore, there is no reason to refuse to check the facts behind what we are being taught.

It’s easy to judge others. It’s harder to put ourselves in their shoes, view the world as they see it, and offer forgiveness. However, there will come a time when we are the one’s in need of forgiveness. We all do things of which we are not proud. We all feel pain and emotional distress. We all bleed red.